Lee Jeffries has created an incredible photographic series featuring portraits of people experiencing homelessness. His powerful, emotionally resonant images were the inspiration and subject for two of my paper cuts and the accompanying acrylic renderings.
You can explore more of his work here: http://leejeffries.500px.com/homeless
This is my latest paper cut—a concept piece titled Picasso Paints Picasso Paints Picasso.
The idea began with one of Picasso’s charcoal self-portraits. I inserted a photo of Picasso into the canvas he was "painting" within that drawing, then created a layered paper cut based on the composite image.
What I like about this piece is how it plays with Picasso’s own approach to flattening space. He often compressed visual elements—eyes, ears, nose, and arms—into a single plane. In contrast, I made the portrait Picasso is painting appear to emerge from the page in 3D, creating a kind of reversal or tension between flatness and depth.
This 12" × 12" paper cut was a commissioned piece, framed to float freely between two sheets of glass. The edges are joined with copper foil tape and finished with soldering.
I can create something similar using your own photo—please get in touch if you're interested.
April 12, 2014
